1957 First Hawaiin Motorama - Jewels From The Archive

How would you like to pack up your hot rod and head to the tropics? We’d say that’s a no-brainer offer that we wouldn’t refuse. Well that’s exactly what the staffers from Rod & Custom and Hot Rod did back in 1957. Once plans for the first Hawaiian Motorama were solidified to take place at the Honolulu Armory, arrangements were made to bring four cars from the mainland. Included for the trip across the Pacific were the Glass Slipper dragster and the R&C Dream Truck. Spence Murray brought his magazine project truck so readers could see what they had been following in the pages of R&C up close and in person. Man, that sure was a cool idea Spence!

There was quite a variety of vehicles on display, including tin lizzies, hot rods, custom cars, race cars, and even some deep sea diving equipment! Hawaii appears to have had its own unique build style with notable features like taillight choices, channeling, unique full-fender molding, and bobbing. We’re not sure if it was lack of available parts on the islands or just one local guy being inspired by the next to build really low hot rods. At any rate, a trip to a tropical paradise involving hot rods and custom cars is just our cup of tea, or coffee.